As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,343,545; 2,558,420; 2,290,954; and 3,565,081, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse undergarments having a built in support means.
It should also be noted that a typical camisole construction offers virtually no support whatsoever for the wearer. As a consequence of the foregoing situation, most women will only wear a camisole under certain outerwear garments which are generally loose fitting, and will resort to the prior art brassiere and bra-slip constructions when more closely fitted outerwear garments are to be worn.
Up until the present time when a woman wished to wear a camisole due to its loose fitting nature and she still required support for her breasts, she was required to wear a bra underneath her camisole to achieve the desired results, if not the desired effect, from both a fashionable and an aesthetically pleasing standpoint.
While a limited number of women due to their physical busts, youth, and/or physical fitness do not require or desire support for their breasts while wearing a camisole, the vast majority of women both need and require the support that is not to be found in a standard camisole construction.
Based on the foregoing situation there has existed long standing need in the fashion industry and particularly among the manufacturers of womens intimate apparel for a garment that could combine the comfort and fit of a camisole with the support and uplift of a brassiere.